Sherlock Holmes stories Essay Example for Free

Sherlock Holmes stories Essay The Sherlock Holmes stories were first published in strand magazines in the year 1891. The author Conan Doyle, was inspired by other writers including R. L Stevenson, who wrote adventure stories, and Edgar Allen Poe who wrote horror and crime stories. He was also influenced by real events, such as the Jack the Ripper case which was happening at the time. Many people at that time thought it was nosy and disrespectful to read real life stories about dead people, so these fictional stories made them feel less guilty. The fictional stories also calm the public because many real life cases werent solved but the Sherlock Holmes cases always were. This gave people hope and made them less scared. Conan Doyle engages his readers by portraying life in Victorian England in an engaging way. In the man with the twisted lip the reader is introduced to opium dens. Opium was a legal drug at the time of the Victorians. They used to go the little dens underground which women were deprived of using: There were bodies lying in strange fantastic poses, with bowed shoulders and bent knees. Dr Watson said Isa Whitney made good of an opium den in the farthest part of the east of the city. This showed that Watson morally disapproves of these drugs. The fact that they smoked in the east is that they dont want to smoke I an respectable area so the have opiums farthest part of the east of the city. Colonialism was portrayed in The Speckled Band as Dr Roylott set up a medical practice in India. Another thing about Victorian times was the difference in authority and rights, and how the white upper class could easily get away with murder. An example of that was colonialism; in the story Dr Roylett killed his native butler who was Indian. However Dr Roylett was English and people like him were seen as powerful. So when he killed his butler he could easily get away with the capital punishment. However if he was an Indian he would have got a death sentence. This is because in the Indian culture who ever murders shall be repaid by being sentenced to death. Britain was as patriarchal society where the men were dominant and the bread-winners, and governed their own families by paternal right. An example is of Dr Roylott, his wife died, and she had left a lot of money. However the money had to go to his daughters when they marry. That is when the complications happen as Dr Roylott did not want to give the money away. Arthur Conan Doyle indulges and engages his readers into his books, Doyles talent was seen as he was describing his characters in an interesting way, e. g. The Man with the Twisted Lip. Holmes was disguised as an old man and he was very thin. Also much wrinkled bent with age, and an opium pipe dangling between his knees. He went to the opium bar where people drink and smoke cocaine, he thinks that the dens are dark gloomy and socially unpleasant place to be. This is shown of the sentence; approached by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave. Also I found the latch and made my way into a long, low room, thick and heavy of an emigrant ship. This is strange for the readers as they do not expect a detective that solves mysteries and problems to admit that he also smoke cocaine. Further the author gave Holmes a personality that surprises readers. He says I suppose that you imagine that I have been addicted opium smoking and to cocaine injections. This shows that he has a dual personality. He is two sided, smoking cocaine then solving a mystery which is eccentric. Conan Doyle uses contrast in The Red Headed league to represent Holmes, it states and extreme languor to devouring energy. This suggests that one minute Sherlock was tired and lazy, the next he was bursting with energy. Conan Doyle is also good at using sexual imagery. Where it states lust of the chase, that would suddenly come upon him, this shows that he is passionate about his job and loves it the way a man loves a woman. He also uses effective animal imagery, Hunt down describes him as a vicious as a predator hunting down its prey. Conan Doyle describes settings in an interesting way. In The Red Headed League he uses exaggeration when he says every man who has a shade of red in their hair into the city answered the advertisement. He also uses good personification e. g. fleet street was choked. This is good because the reader knows that Fleet Street is not human because only humans choke when there is too much food consumed so suffocating. However fleet Street choked means it was crowded up with people and hardly any space. This is a good way too keeps the readers engaged and thinking. Color imagery to gives a better image of the scene e. g. Irish setter, brick, liver, clay. So it is not just saying red or blue bricks however adding metaphors. So it is making the reader imagine the colors it their head on what it looks like. Conan Doyle also uses a range of similes e. g. court looked like a casters orange barrow it gives the reader a picture on how many red headed people, its crowded this showed how the court may have looked like. Furthermore he describes the settings of his stories in a way that interest the readers. In the speckled band, as Conan Doyle uses pathetic fallacy. Pathetic fallacy is when nature reflects the mood, like; the wind was howling, rain was beating splashing against the window. This is a bit like personification which gives an impression that the weather is horrible, reflecting the awful tragedy that is occurring in the house. The weather represented the mood and atmosphere of the scene in the story. The house was described as, the building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone, with a high central potion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side, in one of these the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partially caved in, a picture of ruin. The poor state of the house represents the deterioration and poor mental health of Dr Roylett. The stories are all structured in a similar way. In Sherlock Holmes stories is usually detective work it usually follows as. A client introduces the case to the detectives. In The Speckled Band there are two victims, one already dead, the other, Miss Helen Stoner, fearing for her life. When we first see Miss Helen Stoner in the story, she is dressed in black and heavily veiled. We can tell that she is terrified straight away when she talks. The first thing she says is It is not cold which makes me shiver, said the woman in a low voice. It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror. The impact on the reader for this shows exactly how she was feeling, and how scared she was because she believes that she is going to die like her sister that died two years before. She believes that her sister was either frightened to death or killed by gypsies, because when this woman Helen found her sister the last words that she said were: Helen! Oh my God, Helen! It was the band! The speckled band! Next the detective analyses the client to demonstrate their detective skill. This was shown when he observed a train ticket in Mrs. Helen right glove. He also worked out that she took a cart before reaching the station because her jacket was muddy. He worked that one out because he said there is no vehicle save a dog cart which throws mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left hand side of the driver. This gave Helen stoner a shock as to the series of accurate information. This shows that Sherlock was a bit of a show off demonstrating his extraordinary skills. Being as clever as that is essential for a successful detective. After that the detective visits the crime scene. At night Sherlock went to Dr Roylottes house. He gave the woman set instruction to lock herself in her room so the detectives would sleep in her sisters room for the night. So Sherlock wanted to investigate why there is a constant whistle during the night. Holmes investigated the whole house and he build up a plan to catch the murderer. Holmes had found out that there was an air-vent that was inside the house between the sisters room and the stepfathers. Holmes now was in the room that Helen was supposed to be in and suddenly the light was lit in the stepfathers room, and then Sherlock jumped and hit the bell robe under the air-vent which revealed a snake.

Effect of Social Media on Relationship Satisfaction

Effect of Social Media on Relationship Satisfaction Implications of Social Media to Relationship Satisfaction and Conflict Resolution Skills Introduction Social media is a group of internet based applications which build on the technological and ideological foundations of Web 2.0. They allow exchange and creation of content generated by various users. Currently, the major sites that provide ample networking include Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr. In addition to these, there exists multiple end-user new sites that support only two way participant interaction and communication. The most recent is WhatsApp. This allows for a more personalized interaction. Usage for social media is measured through frequency of logins, postage, updates and interactions. The traditional relationship model has been altered by the success of the new media forms which include social media websites and text messaging (Coyne et al., 2011). According to Coyne, social media affects the communication in a romantic relationship thus influencing satisfaction. It also identified that how family members and friends relate is also influenced. The article reviews the literature available in relation to how social media can either minimize or improve the satisfaction in a relationship. In addition, it realizes that through social media, other interpersonal skills may either be lost or developed. One of the key social interpersonal skill is conflict handling which relies heavily on communication. The article sheds focus on it as well. Discussion The younger generation and the modern culture has witnessed communication being turned into a social dialogue by social media. According to Qualman, (2009), social media is rated as the number use of the Internet which is an always growing percentage. The connectivity throughout the globe has thus been growing. Therefore there are people who meet through the internet. Dependency on social media has thus been growing. Looking at why so many individuals are growing the admiration for social media, the impact it has on users and society is critical. The literature reviewed seems to be focusing on how addiction to social media relate with interpersonal relationships. Social Media Use Uses and Gratifications Theory was used to study social media use (Sheldon, 2008). In this study, Sheldon aimed at discovering reasons as to why students had grown in addiction to Facebook use. Frequent checks on Facebook accounts had grown to be routine behaviour. The reasons for always being online were entertainment and diversion, to keep informed, good feelings, peer identity, sounds and sights, communication, coolness and career (Charney Greenberg, 2001). The above thus highlights why social media becomes a variable in the satisfaction of a relationship. Media and Relationships Both mobile and web-based technologies have presented newer forms of media which now allows the users to be more interactive considering the content. Such technologies have created an interactive platform in which communities and individuals share, modify and create user generated content (Kietzmenn et. al, 2011). User generated content has grown over the years to the present state in which the aspects now associated with social media are identity being the most important, presence, reputation, relationships, groups, conversations and sharing. One’s identity in the internet is revealed by the extent of disclosure (Kietzmenn et. al, 2011). Although technology can be critical in beginning relationships, it may be the key contributor in the ending of a relationship. According to Brown (2011), social media creates virtual and natural distance thus it allows for individuals to conduct unpleasant interpersonal skills. This demonstrates the negative effects of social media in a relationship. The presence of an individual is not key in a breakup process as social media could be employed as the mediator. In virtual communications, there are options for social network sites, e-mail, text messaging, cell phones, even webcams and blogs. Each of these mediums has a key role in the maintenance, initiation and relationship termination (Coyne et. al, 2011). Most couples turn to a given kind of communication and maintain certain media forms. Text messaging is a common form because it is accessible while other aspects such as Facebook demonstrate affection. Messaging is first thus an immediate way in which partners can demonstrate immediate affection. Ideally it is difficult to predict how social media will affect interpersonal relationships in future, however, researchers have focused to identify the effects that have been recorded so far. At this point, the researchers have shifted focus to cyber-optimists and cyber-pessimists. The latter is of the view that Internet has a negative effect on social life while cyber-optimists maintain the effect could be positive (Pollet et. al, 2011). The researchers identify some relationships are dependent on social media. Internet Dependency Looking at the average use in American homes of technology, Kelly (2011) believes that technological revolution time has been attained. People now access what they desire within the blink of an eye. Internet dependency is about how individuals have made internet to become a priority in most of their day to day activities. The growing nature of the media and the internet further elaborates the need on analysing relationship dependency. Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction Interpersonal relationships’ interactions can be conducted nonverbally, verbally and currently, computer-mediated communication and social media allows for the interaction to be virtual. Usefulness of communication is determined by interpersonal relationship satisfaction. The content of the communication and future interactions are also key (Anderson Emmers-Sommer, 2006). According to many psychologists, satisfaction in a close relationship means that there is adequate communication in addition to comfort during the interaction at hand. Communication satisfaction results to closeness, immediacy with increased disclosure to the relational partner. Satisfaction in a given relationship refers to the notch to which an individual is not only satisfied but also content with her or his relationship. When the degree is high, the relationship may turn out to be lengthy and successful. Determinants of a relationship satisfaction include trust, intimacy, similarity, commitment, attribution confidence and communication satisfaction (Anderson Emmers-Sommer, 2006). The higher the rate of this predictors, the higher the satisfaction rates. Internet is easily and often accessed thus it has changed how we conduct our communication thereby influencing the present quality of romantic relationships. In a relationship, satisfaction sprouts from a positive level of contentment, needs, wants and expectations being met by a partner as well as having a mutually beneficial position in the relationship. Face-to-face interactions improve relationship satisfaction with nonverbal communication being a key area (Emmers-Sommer, 2004). According to Anderson Emmers-Sommer (2006), there is direct relationship between relationship satisfaction and partner communication. They added that face-to-face communication are key in the maintain ace of relationship satisfaction. Social Media and Relationship Satisfaction Individuals in online relationships do not have the ability to physically see each other. As a result therefore, there is great need that communication satisfaction is attained. The online platform is thus a base for which the relationship could grow, be maintained and satisfaction of each other. Communication lengths and terminology are existing examples of familiarity that exists between online interactions and face-to-face communication. In the current world, Twitter, Facebook and text messaging are part of the relationship life cycle in which many partnerships for men in the range of 18-24 spend a lot of time in social media. Implications of Social Media on Relationships Most of the young adults currently use social media multiple times a day for relationship purposes and communication. Social media is appealing in that it has content that is user-generated and dynamic as well. Social media accessibility gives user the authority to remain connected with people and they can thus contact each other frequently. Studies have found out that relationship satisfaction depends mainly on communication which could imply that the medium for communication does not necessarily matter. Individuals aged 18-24 are fond of both Facebook and Twitter. Understanding intentions and motivations in the mediums is one of the key factors that would advise on whether an individual has priority for relationships. The two provide critical information as well as communication and this becomes an integral psychological need for which people grow, survive and learn. The concern hereby should be how dependency on social media is influencing the modern medium for communication. Face -to-face communication has received neglect as individuals are adopting text messaging as the priority medium. It is a utilization of modern technology in the increase and improvement of communication for interpersonal relationships. Understanding such implications is essential for relationships improvement and social media communication. With more frequent use of social media in modern life, individuals can still find a way of maintaining an interpersonal relationship that is satisfying through these or other mediums. As a result therefore, communication in social media should improve quality relationship and not cause negative effects. Social Networking and Conflict Resolution The social media platform allows interaction for people who know each other as well as individuals who have absolutely no clue about each other. Most internet users have ended up co-constructing their own environment. In this environment, each participant has a social role to play. According to Greenfield and Yan (2006), any individual who might be affected by the social media environment especially for being a participant creates a new environment and they thus have a dual core in controlling technological side-effects thus large scale implications. Communication has an integral role to play in personal relationships. In essence, relationships can be assessed by communication skills. Therefore, communication impairment hinders successful relational development especially for the young adults. There are impacts on various sets of life areas such as socialization, employment, school performance and family relationships. In addition, the mere fact that the young adults may fail to resolve conflicts may end up jeopardizing safety which could then result to chronic acts of violence that include fighting, verbal threats, pushing, punching and grabbing (Woody, 2001). The development of interpersonal skill in handling conflicts may be impacted by the excessive use of modern technology. Conflict Resolution and Communication Skills The most important use of the Internet for adolescents is communication (Greenfield Yan, 2006). Responses to hypothetical conflict situations in the social media industry is similar to the responses in real life. The decline observed in the face-to-face interaction would imply that there is decreased potential in handling of real-life conflicts. To support thus, Mishna (2009) found that in his research, adolescents recorded high cases of conflicts with parents in addition to communication levels that were still low with their parents. In addition, the research indicated that the adolescents who frequently used online communication and were in significant trouble or were frightened failed to reach out and have face-to-face communication with their parents. At this point, it is key to note that such adolescents miss out on a psychological development in which they should receive education on handling conflicts from parents. For social media, just like face to face communication, a rel ationship may turn to be volatile and unpredictable. In adopting the social exchange theory, psychologists indicate that the principle of maximizing benefits while minimizing costs is prominent in social behaviour. This is applicable in conflict resolution. One must give to receive. For maximum satisfaction, the degree of expected rewards has to be greater than the degree of expected costs expended during interaction. For the social exchange theory, Ripa and Carrasco (2007) maintain that the six major rewards are both intangible and tangible. They include information, services, goods, status, money and love. The social exchange theory is influenced by the role of psychological, social, political, economic and historical factors. Technologically therefore, exchanges between individuals should capture a mutual cost-benefit structure (Drussell, 2012). The energy and time that one spends in texting, comments’ posting and Facebook updates directly perceives rewards of responses and likes. The sense of power can be endured in social media especially with high number of followers, friends, likes, comments and shares. While that may exist, the opposite may occur for which an individual has minimal of the above. It would thus mean that fear and rejection grows in them. In addition, the objects relations theory is applicable for this scenario. Psychologists differentiate this theory from the rest on the basis that it pays attention on how needs are not met or are met in a relationship. This contrasts the idea of impulses and drives. In this theory, external needs should be met by other people. The external needs are inclusive of being valued and viewed as individual by others, being accepted for both negative and positive qualities and being given protection, love and care (Ripa Carrasco, 2007). Internet-based communication and texting facilitate a relationship world that is virtual. It allows users to internalize other people’s mental representations. With the abs ence of face-to-face communication, the participants rely on constructions to incorporate meaning and imagination to such relationships. As a result therefore, users’ internal worlds may be vastly different from the facts that they present in the social networking environment. The conflict resolution process is complicated and communication as the reality facts may be hidden in the interactions. According to Drussell, (2012), texting and Facebook have failed at improving the ability in resolving conflicts. In the study, it was identified that despite the fact there were many individuals who adopted social media and used it frequently, in most cases they did not turn to it when solving conflicts. The study deduced the fact that most young adults deemed it wise to solve conflicts on a face-to-face communication. However, there were concerns in which case social media users did not personally know each other and had a considerable distance between them. For such cases, when conflict arose, it was probably never revisited. Such a relationship would be difficult to mend through social media and a large population would prefer to abandon it entirely. Conclusion The basis for conflict resolution and relationship satisfaction lies on communication. Social networking seems to facilitate communication at various levels. Social network users vary along continuum which is inclusive of negative, neutral and positive attitudes. Regardless of the attitude, the literature review indicates that communications may be misinterpreted during these kinds of communication. That is one of the weakness that social networking has in comparison to face-to-face communication. The communication aspect that is strengthened by social media makes friendship even stronger. The major worry for many individuals is that social media and networking seems to be causing a deterioration of persons’ ability to talk with each other. The face-to-face talk is the one suffering in the face of prominent social media dependency. Social media can be a source of conflict in the relationships, the best approach in handling such a conflict should be face-to-face communication a nd interaction. Going by the literature reviewed, social media users do not feel unsatisfied in interpersonal relationships that they engage in. The observation is that, social media improves satisfaction in a relationship as it brings about the issue of frequent interactions. Long distance relationships benefit from this interaction though further psychological based research should be done in relation to it. Technology will keep on evolving for which case social media prominence will still persist. Further research on the impacts of social media prominence is essential to understand how society will be impacted. References Anderson, T., Emmers-Sommer, T. (2006). Predictors of relationship satisfaction in online romantic relationships. Communication Studies, 57(2), 153-172. doi:10.1080/10510970600666834 Brown, A. (2011). Relationships, community, and identity in the new virtual society. Futurist, 45(2), 29-34. Charney, T., Greenberg, B. (2001). Uses and gratifications of the Internet. In C. Lin D. Atkin (Eds.), Communication, technology and society: New media adoption and uses and gratifications (pp. 383-406). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton. Coyne, S., Stockdale, L., Busby, D., Iverson, B., Grant, D. (2011). I luv u :)!: A descriptive study of the media use of individuals in romantic relationships. Family Relations, 60(2), 150-162. Drussell, J. (2012). Social Networking and Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills among College Freshmen. Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers. Paper 21. http://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/21 Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (2004). The effects of communication quality and quantity indicators on intimacy and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24, 399-411. Greenfiled, P. Yan, Z. (2006). Children, adolescents, and the internet: A new field of inquiry in developmental psychology. Developmental Psychology, 42 (3). 391-394. Kelly, K. (2011). Understanding technological evolution and diversity. Futurist, 45(2), 44-48. Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business Horizons, 54(SPECIAL ISSUE: SOCIAL MEDIA), 241-251. Mishna, F., McLuckie, A., Saint, M. (2009). Real-world dangers in an online reality: A qualitative study examining online relationships and cyber abuse. Social Work Research, 33 (2). 107-118. Pollet, T. V., Roberts, S. B., Dunbar, R. M. (2011). Use of social network sites and instant messaging does not lead to increased offline social network size, or to emotionally closer relationships with offline network members. Cyberpsychology, Behavior Social Networking, 14(4), 253-258. Qualman, E. (2009, August 11). Statistics show social media is bigger than you think. Retrieved from http://www.socialnomics.net/2009/08/11/statistics-show-social-media-is-biggerthan-you-think/ Sheldon, P. (2008). Student favorite: Facebook and motives for its use. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 23(2), 39-53.

Something Wicked This Way Comes Essay -- Essays Papers

Something Wicked This Way Comes Throughout Something Wicked This Way Comes there is an ongoing battle between good and evil, and many problems dealing with greed. In most stories good prevails, but things happen differently this time. The characters have problems with greed and evil thoughts, which will bring them misfortune throughout the story. During the story the author often uses foreshadowing to give hints to the reader of things that will happen in the future. When the story starts, a storm is coming on a late October night. The storm symbolizes the evil approaching the town. Usually it seems a storm would resemble something dark and evil, because a stormy night is always a classic setting for something evil. At the climax of the story, Charles Halloway reads a passage ...

State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System :: Education Turkey Educational Essays

State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System Since 2000 B.C., when Turkey first appeared on the pages of history, the country has been a part of many different civilizations and has been constantly developing into the nation that we see today.? Turkey?s educational system has been developing as well.? The control of the educational system in Turkey is very much rooted in the State and is primarily controlled by the Ministry of National Education (commonly referred to as ?the Ministry?).? I found a good summary of the aim of the Ministry which stated that the goal of the Turkish national education system could be summed up as being, one where all individuals of the state are gathered together as an inseparable whole, united in national consciousness and thinking, trained to think along scientific lines with intellectually broadened views on world affairs, and to be productive happy individuals, who through their skills contribute to the prosperity of society and are instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and d istinguished member of the modern world. (MFA) The overall structure of how education actually works in Turkey is very rigid and detailed.? It seems that the Ministry has been the most significant in modifying the educational systems of Turkey within the past few years.? In 1997, for example, the required five years of primary school was replaced by eight years of primary school (Council).? There are other similar minor changes that have occurred over the past few years, but none of them, to my knowledge, have been drastically altering.? Also, In all of my research, it was difficult for me to find contrary information on any of the old systems and how they may have differed from the present day educational system, so I conclude that the system has been roughly uniform and similar, while obviously evolving over the years, for quite some time. ?As I mentioned earlier, the educational system of Turkey is very rigid and detailed, but at the same time appears to be very efficient.? All students in Turkey attend eight years of primary school, followed by three to four years of secondary school.? Turkey?s educational system, at this point, strays quite a bit from the educational system that most of us have grown up with in America.? Secondary education generally consists of a type of specialization for each individual student? State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System :: Education Turkey Educational Essays State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System Since 2000 B.C., when Turkey first appeared on the pages of history, the country has been a part of many different civilizations and has been constantly developing into the nation that we see today.? Turkey?s educational system has been developing as well.? The control of the educational system in Turkey is very much rooted in the State and is primarily controlled by the Ministry of National Education (commonly referred to as ?the Ministry?).? I found a good summary of the aim of the Ministry which stated that the goal of the Turkish national education system could be summed up as being, one where all individuals of the state are gathered together as an inseparable whole, united in national consciousness and thinking, trained to think along scientific lines with intellectually broadened views on world affairs, and to be productive happy individuals, who through their skills contribute to the prosperity of society and are instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and d istinguished member of the modern world. (MFA) The overall structure of how education actually works in Turkey is very rigid and detailed.? It seems that the Ministry has been the most significant in modifying the educational systems of Turkey within the past few years.? In 1997, for example, the required five years of primary school was replaced by eight years of primary school (Council).? There are other similar minor changes that have occurred over the past few years, but none of them, to my knowledge, have been drastically altering.? Also, In all of my research, it was difficult for me to find contrary information on any of the old systems and how they may have differed from the present day educational system, so I conclude that the system has been roughly uniform and similar, while obviously evolving over the years, for quite some time. ?As I mentioned earlier, the educational system of Turkey is very rigid and detailed, but at the same time appears to be very efficient.? All students in Turkey attend eight years of primary school, followed by three to four years of secondary school.? Turkey?s educational system, at this point, strays quite a bit from the educational system that most of us have grown up with in America.? Secondary education generally consists of a type of specialization for each individual student?

A slave’s diary

Day 1 The worst possible has happened I have had my home stricken from me by a white skinned demon and am now delimited to a water bound hell. Each lapping wave from the tempestuous sea that carries us to our unknown destination takes a small part of my resolve in its wake. I am fettered to a long pole and my movements are restricted by a chain which runs through the various binds of my neighbours. Once the white men took one of our number out of this place, although I think that it is not out of any form of kindness as he came back pained the smell of burning flesh following close behind. I sit here next to members of the mugimbi tribe and as such there is not much for conversation; the chafing of my binds burns me just as many a question burns my mind. What is this place? Why are we here? Is this hell? Am I dead? I hope that the answers will come to me before long because I sense that I will not be leaving this place soon. Day 12 I am still locked in this place. It has become difficult to distinguish night from day, to distinguish the smell of decay emitting from the first of our number to pass away, mostly children, and the smell of our own excrement. But it is not the smell that bothers me it is the cacophony of children's screams and women's cries, this is inhuman! These white men must come from hell. It has become unbearable. If I do not leave this place soon then I shall truly lose what little sanity I have been able to rescue from the abominable power of the waves. I have yet to be taken out and burned by the hand of the white demon, it is happening more frequently now, as if they do this to us in order to pass the time. Monsters. Recently I have found a form of salvation. It was so obvious I cannot believe it took me up to this point to realise it. We could call upon the Gods through tribe song. Prayers must not have been heard but when we sing I can feel the power of the Gods flow through me once more . Day 34 I do not believe we will ever leave this place. The white demons must be waiting until we are all dead. Just under a quarter of us have surrendered to eternal sleep ceasing their cries and escaping this nightmare. It must only be a matter of time before I too contribute the putrid atmosphere. It has improved a little though, I truly believe there is an angel amongst the demons, although he too speaks in tongues he seems to have the capacity for mercy, he washed us out and removed the liquid remains of those who had passed on, he even gave me some more food. Perhaps these men are not demonic but simply misguided? Fear has left me now, as if it was flowing through my veins for so long that I no longer had the power to hold it so that it seeped out the pores. Also we have created a worship dance that is possible considering our current restricted movement, the limbo. We sing and clap and try to lower ourselves below the bar that binds us, it is almost symbolic. The white men do not like it when we do this they seem to wish to stop any sort of bonding between us. Perhaps this is to prevent us from overpowering them, however if we are so bound I cannot think of how we could do so unless of course we are one day to be relased! Day 42 I was taken above today. It was the first time I had seen the sky in far too long, my limbs were sore and weakened from the restriction of movement and lack of exercise. I did not realise what they wanted me to do but I think that they were just doing it for their own enjoyment. How one could be so inhuman I do not know, they brought the fury of their tarred leather whip upon me. Slashing at my flesh, removing the skin from my back until I convulsed with pain. They laughed. I did not mind so much that they turn their fury upon me but I cannot accept that they do this to women and children. I was thrown back down into the darkness, bound again onto the pole sitting in a pool of my own blood. Day 43 I feel myself slipping away now, my surroundings fading into insignificance, I accept death. I welcome it. Invite it. Darkness is consuming me, this will me my last entry, thank you for allowing me to collate my thoughts. adieu.

Annihilation of Caste

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